The perfect defect
by KeepCalmAndWatchAnime
Summary: Minato and Kushina are scientists who work day in and day out in their lab to create the "perfect" human being. After their first defect, they made another attempt to create perfection and the results were just as they hoped. Too bad Naruto is less than excited to live with another one of their creations. Warnings: Futuristic Alternate Universe. SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

As usual, my parents were at work, and I'm left alone with my awful older brother Sai. He's the most perverted pain in the ass I've ever come into contact with. To make matters worse, he's not my biological brother. We never adopted him either. You are probably wondering how this may be, so let me explain. Don't worry, it's not much of a long story.

My parents are scientist and they work day in and day out. They've been recently working on creating human beings, but not just any average human. They say it's for "research" and I know it's bullshit. What I hate the most is all the publicity my family has been getting for it ever since Sai was created. My parents were so happy that they created him, so they considered him a part of our family. They very soon found out that their "perfect creation" had a few defects and they decided not to keep him in this house, away from the outside world. This defect is my "brother" Sai. The first and only one of their creations.

So that's it, that's the story. Trust me, it's not as special as it sounds. I hate Sai and I don't like my parents too much either. Of course when it comes to giving me everything I need or want, they're there to give it to me, but when it comes to being parents they fail miserably. I never see them on week days and rarely see them on weekends. They're so obsessed with their jobs and their publicity that they often forget about me. Even as a child it was this way. But you know, I guess it's not a big deal to miss out on your child's championship soccer game, middle school graduation, their 12th BIRTHDAY. Luckily after I cried for a week, they never missed another one of my birthday's again.

It still angers me to think about it, but I've gotten over it. They care about me more once they realized everything I was going through while they were MIA. Maybe they were so concerned that they purposely made Sai older than me so he could watch after me. I guess it doesn't matter now since it's the other way around.

"Still haven't cleaned your room I see. Do you need any help with your homework?"

It wasn't uncommon for Sai to casually walk into my room without knocking. It was my biggest pet peeve and I always yelled at him for it. He knew how much it bothered me.

"No! Now can you please go away?"

"Whatchya workin' on? Geometry? Not hard at all, but you're probably doing it wrong anyways"

"Sai, I don't need your help. You can go back to painting pictures of naked people"

"I don't paint pictures of people nude, but when I get there, I want you to model for me", he said as he put his arm around me.

"Don't touch me you pervert", I growled.

"Nii-chan no need to have your panties in a bunch"

"Stop calling me nii-chan and don't put your arm around me!"

He was testing my patience as usual.

"I think you're stressed out, you know what you need? A way to relax", he said as he began to stroke my hair.

Before I could turn around and sock him in the face I heard the garage door open. _Why are they coming home so early? What's going on?_

I rushed down the stairs to see why they were home so early and my stomach dropped when I saw both of them.

"Hi son how've you been?"

"Oh you know, the same way I've been since the last time you saw me"

"Oh well that's great!", my mother said enthusiastically.

The last time my mom parents saw me was when I was in my room crying because of the bullies I had to put up with. I doubt they remember, it was just a month ago. _Great job mom and dad._

"Yeah", I replied as I tried to cover up all the pain I was feeling.

"How's sophomore year. Make any new friends?", my father asked.

_No dad, I've had the same friend group since freshman year. Even if I did make new friends I doubt you actually care and I doubt you'd bother to remember their names. Can we please change the subject? Can you please explain to me why you're home early on a weekday for the first time in a decade?_

"Why are you home so early?"

The question came out a lot harsher than I expected, but I'm sure they were able to understand why.

"You need to answer your father's question first"

"I've made no new friends, now can you please tell me why you're both here", I said impatiently.

"We wanted to surprise you"

"Well you sure did a good job", I scoffed.

They both laughed, and I could tell that something was up.

"Us coming home early wasn't really supposed to be the surprise?"

"Then what's the surprise…", I say nervously.

"Close your eyes"

_Ugh._

I did as I was told as they lead me into the garage with their hands over my eyes. They turned the light on, but kept their hands over my eyes.

_One, two, three_

They took their hands off my eyes and what I saw right in front of my eyes made me extremely unhappy. I could tell that this "present" was going to be another one of my biggest problems.

"Well, aren't you happy? A new member to the family"

This "new family member" looked a little like Sai only taller and more muscular. His hair and his eyes are jet black and his skin is whiter than a sheet of printer paper. He reeked of masculinity and I could tell by looking in his eyes that he was no one to be messed with. I began to blush a bit the longer I looked at him. He was definitely my type. Maybe this new older brother won't be so bad after all.

"His name is-"

"Sasuke. I can introduce myself", he said as he walked up to me and out stretched his hand. I shook it cautiously and he smirked at me. Oh my god he's smirking at me! He's so much hotter up close.

"I can tell the both of you are going to be very close friends. You'll get to share a room and everything"

"Wait what? No! Our house has like four more rooms, why can't he have his own?", I said nervously. He's so attractive, I can't share the same room with him it won't end well.

"I think sharing a room for the first month will be a great bonding experience"

"And we also need someone who will make sure your room stays clean"

_Of Course._

"And how do you know my room isn't clean right now?", I teased.

"I don't know. We should probably check shouldn't we. Come on Sasuke, we're gonna show you your brother's room"

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

* * *

"Are you serious?"

My face turned red in embarrassment at the catastrophe I call my room. Of course I know my room is a wreck, but it never bothered me, and I had no one to tell me to clean it. My friends that came over didn't really mind it and the one's that did never went into my room, but now I have no choice but to clean it.

"There's no way I'm sleeping in this room. This is terrifying"

"I agree, you should be ashamed. It's somehow managed to look even worse than the last time we saw it", my father scolded.

"Clean it up", my mother demanded.

I groaned in annoyance and I could tell I was going to spend the rest of the night picking up empty chip bags, cup noodle bowls, clothes, and cleaning stains from off the carpet.

"Follow me Sasuke, I'll show you around the house. I know it's kind of big, but you'll figure it out"

"I'm sure every other room in this house is spotless"

_Great. He already doesn't like me._

The thing that confused me the most about these "human creations" is how my parents managed to give them a mind of their own. How could they tell what a room is supposed to look like? How do they know how to dress themselves so that what they wear matches? How do they know how to do chores or paint or solve math problems?

I never bothered to ask my parents, mainly because I'm so sick of them going on and on about their precious creations and all the attention they get from the media. I can only imagine what my parents had to go through to get this guy home. It wasn't uncommon for the paparazzi to follow my parents when they leave from work.

* * *

After two and a half hours of cleaning my room thoroughly, I had finally finished. I have to admit, after all that cleaning, I felt accomplished. Both bed's are made, everything is organized and there isn't a single spot on the carpet. Now all I have to do is keep it this way for a month.

I walked out of my room to get something to drink from the kitchen. I peaked my head inside to see what all the commotion was about, and already, I could tell it was because of Sasuke. He seemed to have a way with my parents, and it sort of made me smile, but my smile dropped when I realized they were talking about me.

"Our son is kind of...sensitive"

_Sensitive?! I'm not sensitive?! What would they know about me anyways?! They're never around! I bet they don't even know what I want to be when I grow up or my favorite tv show!_

"He cried for a week when we couldn't spend his 12th birthday with him and he cried for an entire week"

_Because I was alone! I woke up with a present on the kitchen table in the morning, but when I came home from school I was alone! You didn't even say happy birthday to me in person! I didn't have any friends to say happy birthday to me either! Nobody said happy birthday to me!_

"He used to get bullied in middle school, and he was bullied so badly freshman year that we had to transfer him to an all boys private school after his first two weeks at Konoha High"

"He's made a lot of friends at his new school, his grades are a lot better, and he seems to be happier"

All of those statements are true but one._ I'm not "happier". I still rarely ever get to spend time with you._ They're both so focused on creating these perfect humans, but they seem to forget the very first perfect human being they created._ Aren't I perfect in your eyes mom and dad?_

"But even freshman year there was a group of kids that gave him a hard time. They still do, but he won't tell us why. He keeps a lot of things to himself, I don't understand why he doesn't just reach out for help"

_Maybe it's because I'm scared to tell you. Did you ever think of that? Did you ever think that it's difficult for me to tell you guys things because I don't really have much of a relationship with either of you? It would be like telling all your problems to a stranger. How am I supposed to know how you will react?_

"Sounds like he's a kid who needs help"

"Yes, and we want you to go to the same school as him, but we're not sure how it's going to work"

"We're not sure if the school will accept you since you don't have a definable age and they might judge you since you were created in a lab. By society's standards you are human. You look like one, you walk like one, you think like one, you talk like one, but since you weren't created through sexual reproduction, you aren't technically human. You understand that right?"

"One hundred percent clear"

"It's a cruel world Sasuke, and when people begin to find out that a lab made human is attending a High School, things will get crazy. For now, don't leave the house since you are going to be the most talked about person in town for a while"

"But don't worry Sasuke. We're going to fight for you to get into that private school. We want you to spend your senior year there. We're not going to give up"

_I can't believe that my parents are going to fight to get him into the school system. How is he going to live his whole life looking eighteen but telling people he's an age much younger than that? Uuuugh this is so annoying. I'm going to get so much shit when I go back to school tomorrow._


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: Somewhat intense chapter**

* * *

Going back to school on Wednesday was, as Shikamaru would call it, "a drag". I usually didn't dread going to school, especially since I really like the high school I transferred to, but of course with people going up to me and asking a million questions about my new housemate, I couldn't help but feel miserable. This is just as bad as last year when they saw my parents on the news.

"Leave Naruto alone will ya? He can't get anywhere if you all keep crowding around him, now scram!"

_Thank God for people like Kiba._

"Thanks Kiba", I said with a smile.

"Not a problem"

"God, I feel bad for you. It's like last year but just as terrible."

"I know Shikamaru", I groaned.

"Such a drag"

"Don't worry, I'll protect you!", Kiba said with a reassuring pat on my back.

_Yeah, but when I go back home can you protect me from all the photographers and news reporters that will be waiting on my street?_

* * *

During lunch time I decided to go to the library. Going to the cafeteria would cause too much commotion. Too many people would go up to me asking me ridiculous questions that only my parents themselves could answer.

The saddest part about this situation is that it didn't take me long to finish my homework, so when I finished I had nothing to do. There was no point in picking up a book. I've always hated reading and could never see the appeal to it. It takes too much concentration, and I could never get past a hundred pages.

Out of boredom, I walked around the library nervously. Luckily, there were only a few people around that I knew, which was pretty uncommon since I knew just about everyone. I guess you could say I'm popular around here but it never feels that way. I feel like a regular person.

Curiously, I pick up a book with an interesting title and read the back of it as I continue to wander. While not paying attention to where I was going, my clumsy ass accidentally bumped into someone. He is around the same height as me and his red hair stood out immediately. How could I not see someone with hair like that.

"Sorry", I say nervously.

He looks at me and then at the book in my hand.

"At least you have good taste in literature"

The words that came out of his mouth made me uncomfortable since one, I hate reading, and two, if I did read my taste in literature would be poor.

"Oh, thanks. I love reading", I lied.

I didn't lie so I wouldn't feel stupid. If it were anyone else I would have told them that I was in here hiding from someone and was just reading the backs of random books to pass the time. But I couldn't lie to this guy, he was kinda cute and mysterious. In a way he reminded me of Sasuke, but only personality wise.

"So do I", he said as he continued to search for the book he was longing to find.

"I don't mean this in a bad way, but I hear a lot about you. You're Naruto right?"

"Yeah", I grumbled.

"It's my first month here and it seems like all everyone talks about is you, but it seems like you're pretty aware of this"

"Mhm", I say showing disinterest in the topic.

"Sorry, I must be bothering you. I'm probably coming off as rude"

"No, it's okay. It's just you know my name, but I don't know yours"

"Gaara", he said as he picked up the book.

"Nice to meet you"

"Nice to meet you too", he said as he skimmed through the pages.

"Sooo are you a junior or a senior?"

"Junior"

"Must be weird leaving your old school and coming here. Do you like it here so far?"

"Much better than the place I was before"

"Tell me about it", I said as I began to follow him to check out my book. Of course, I only did this because he was checking out his and I didn't want to put away the book that he implied that I should read.

"It was short lived, but it was nice talking to you. I hope to see you around", he said before he left.

"You too"

After all of that was over, I wanted him to come back so I could ask him a million questions and get to know him better than he "knows" me. And since what he hears about me are most likely false rumors, I doubt what he "knows" about me is true.

* * *

I was less than excited when I got home, and it wasn't just because of the mob of people that were on my street, it was because of my parents. The only reason why they were home so early was to check up on Sasuke, and like last year, I assume they will be checking up on their "perfect" creation a lot.

So woohoo I finally got what I wanted right? My parents are home, so I should be happy? No, unfortunately I can't be all smiles about them being home early if all they're doing is talking to Sasuke instead of me. So it's pretty much like I don't exist, and I'm beginning to wonder why my parents even had me if they can't even say "hi" to me when I come home from school.

_"Hi son", how was your day._

_"Good, how was yours?"_

That's all it takes, and I would have been satisfied with that if that's all they said to me. Although it hurts to know that my parents don't want to pay attention to me, I have friends who care about me. Friends like Kiba, who give more attention to me than my parents ever will.

I walk up to my room and drop my bag on the floor, but then I remembered that it's not only my room anymore. That thought alone was enough to make me want to punch the mirror in front of me.

As I look at my reflection, I begin to notice something unusual on my face. _A pimple. As if this day couldn't be getting any worse_. Angrily, I walk out of my room to go get a cup noodle, and I pass the family room where my "brother" and my parents are casually sitting on the sofa talking. What pissed me off the most is that they were all so into their conversation that they didn't see me walk by them. They didn't even acknowledge me, but I let it roll off my shoulders like I did last year when they treated Sai like a king. The funny thing is that now Sai is the most ignored person in this house. At least my parents will eventually say at least two or three words to me today, and as much as I can't stand Sai most of the time, I'm beginning to feel bad for him. I don't think my parents have said much of anything to him since they found out he wasn't as perfect as they thought he'd be.

_Maybe I should...say hello to him. He might molest me, but I should at least say hi to him. I've been telling him to go away a lot more than usual, and he's not all that terrible. I feel bad for all the times I kick him out of my room and tell him to leave me alone...but god he's just so creepy and perverted and doesn't know how to act around people! But, he's still...my brother. My very fucked up brother..._

I open the cabinets to get my cup noodles and put it in the microwave. _I should have a microwave in my room at this point, all I eat are ramen noodles._

When the my meal is finally warmed up, I pick up the bowl and head back to my room, but to my surprise, (okay so maybe I was thinking it was going to happen eventually), my mother greets me.

"Hey I, didn't even see you walk through the door", she laughs.

_And you didn't see me walk into the kitchen either. Doesn't that make your joke twice as funny?_

"Haven't been here for long. Just wanted something to eat"

"All he eats are ramen noodles", my dad tells Sasuke.

"Are they good for you?"

"No, not at all, but he's hopelessly addicted", he replies.

I roll my eyes as I go back up to my room. _No point in staying in here._

"Going to get your work done?", my mom asks.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna go talk to Sai a bit first"

My parents give each other an uncertain look and Sasuke's gaze is no longer on me, but at something else in the room. _Okay, something's up._

"What's wrong? Is Sai okay?"

"Well, no", she replies with a frown.

"Is he injured?"

"Um, he's...in the hospital", she says in a very suspicious tone.

"Why?"

"He's sick", my father says worriedly.

"Very sick", my mother adds.

I look at Sasuke, who is still looking away from me. _So I can already tell my parents are lying and that he knows the truth. How do I get it out of him?_

"Do you know how this happened?"

They both looked over at each other, and that's when I knew their lie was very horribly planned. Rule one to lying is that it always has to be planned, it's never just off the top of your head, especially when lying in groups or with one other person.

"Oh wait, I forgot you wouldn't know how this happened since it's not like you ever check on him or anything", I snap.

The room is still silent, and I could see the guilt in both of their faces.

"But what sickens me the most is that both of you aren't telling me the whole truth. Something's wrong with Sai and I want to know what it is"

"We're telling you he's sick", my mother snaps at me.

"Oh yeah? With what?"

"Don't use that tone with your mother", my dad tries to say calmly.

"I want to know! What is his illness? When will he be back home?"

"We don't know what is wrong with him, the doctors haven't figured it out yet, and we don't know when he'll be back home", my dad says.

"Then can I visit him tomorrow?"

"You won't be able to visit him for a while"

"Why? I'm his brother?", I ask in frustration.

"Not exactly. He's not an adopted family member or your biological brother. You're not his guardian either, so you won't be able to see him anytime soon"

The look I'm giving my father is a look that will probably get me grounded, but at this point I don't care.

"So what you're telling me is that you guys, his 'guardians', who never keep an eye on him or hug him or tell him how much he means to you, get to see my brother"

The upset look on their faces only worsens when I said that, but the truth needed to be told. _They should feel bad._

"But I, the one who sort of kept an eye on him despite all the creepy sexual advances he makes towards me that I doubt either of you know about, do not get to see him"

"Why didn't you tell us he was-"

"Nope. I'm not done yet. I'm going to say this because you need to know. I care about Sai more than both of you ever did, and it's only until he gets hurt that you begin to care. Does this sound kind of familiar? I know it does", I say, viciously cutting my mother off.

"Don't talk to your mother like that"

I look at Sasuke, who's defending words for my parents only make me even more angry.

"You shut the hell up! You've only been here for what, a little over 24 hours?! You don't know half the shit that I've gone through alone because my parents were never there, and still rarely are! What do you know about my parents? They may like you now, but as soon as they see something terribly wrong with you, you'll just be another dysfunctional creation, like Sai! You'll end up being ignored just like him!"

He stands up and walks over to me, and I could tell I've made him angry.

"Don't talk to my parents like that"

"Your parents", I growl.

"Yes. You are their son, but you are also my brother, making them my parents too"

"You are in no way related to anyone in my family"

"I don't have to be, but your parents are working on legally making me a family member"

"But they didn't do that with Sai! Why? Because Sai had some unsolvable problems! And if they see anything wrong with you, they won't let you be a part of this family!"

"That's enough", my father says growing impatient.

"No! I'm sick of all of you!"

"Stop yelling", Sasuke says growing even more impatient than my father.

"No! I hate them!"

It was too late for me to take those words back, and I feel a very rough hand against my cheek leaving a bitter and painful sting. I look up at the bastard that hit me and throw my instant ramen in his face before running up to my room in tears, almost falling up the steps on my way there.

_How dare that bastard who thinks he belongs here hit me! I hate being at home! I hate it!_

* * *

**Author's note: I had fun writing the arguing scene, I don't know why. I know you're probably thinking how this will be resolved, but it's all plotted out so don't worry SasuNaru will happen, it's just gonna take some time.**


	3. Chapter 3

In slam the door shut behind me, lock it, and try hard to ignore the loud bickering from downstairs. Although the ruckus on the floor below me was loud, I couldn't understand a word they were saying because my head was pounding. _The feeling is coming back again._

There's a storm cloud hanging over my head, and right now it's pouring. This isn't the last time I'll have a day like this. _But don't go down that road, stay strong._

"Naruto, Open the door", he says as he struggles to twist the door knob.

_No dad go away, leave me alone, you're a terrible father._

"Naruto, please don't do this to me"

_But you made me do this. This is your fault too_.

"Naruto"

This time the panic in his voice is more clear, making me wonder if I'm taking things too far. _Maybe I should open the door._

**_No, let him suffer. Let's see how much he cares about you when he thinks you're about to run away again._**

"Open the door Naruto"

This time I know that he's borderline going insane, waiting for me, expecting me to open the door for him.

**_Don't open that door. Don't do it._**

"Stop playing games and open the door!"

**_It's just like that day isn't it? That tragic day when you didn't open the door and he had to kick it down only to find your window open and you nowhere to be found. Remember the cops, the tears, the nosy neighbors, and the-_**

_School guidance counselors bothering the shit out of me? I'm never running away ever again._

"Naruto...I love you so much! I know it's hard to believe or understand but your mother and I, we love you dearly, and we want this to stop! We don't like it when we fight, and we realize all our mistakes! We're trying to fix them! We've decided that Sasuke is the last human we'll ever make, and we've made this decision because we want to focus on you! We care about you! We don't want you to hate us anymore", he cries.

**_Don't give in._**

"Your mother is downstairs crying, and Sasuke feels guilty for hitting you, but believe me when I say he doesn't know any better! We told him that being your older brother means that he has to do whatever it takes to keep you in line, but he took his authority too far because he doesn't know the limits! He's still learning how to be human, looking human is only half of it and...he really cares about you...you should've heard all the questions he asked about you in the car yesterday. Naruto, he...he wants to get to know you!"

**_And if he really cared, he'd be the one at the door begging for me to let him in._**

"Naruto, please"

I now know that my father is crying, and I snap back into reality. I run to the door and unlock it and I'm surprised with the best hug that I've ever gotten in my entire life.

"Naruto, I'm so sorry. You don't know how sorry I am", he whispers softly.

"It's okay. I forgive you"

_Why do I forgive? Why do I love? Why do I care so much about someone who is around me so little?_

I've finally come to understand something about the relationship I have with my parents. If I ignore the fact that they aren't around as much as they should be, and think about all the times they were around, I begin to realize why I still call them "mom" and "dad".

When they are around, they try to spend time with me or ask me about my day. They try to get to know me better, even though they both know that they won't remember the name's of my best friends or the teacher's I can't stand.

Although the effort they give could be so much better, they still try. They still care, and if they didn't ever care I would still be the kid who gets bullied at public school. I wouldn't have video games, or a cellphone, or my own laptop. If they didn't care, they wouldn't push me so hard when it comes to academics, or tell me to try to be as active as possible. When they are around they support me, they encourage me, and I'm confused as to whether they are a positive aspect in my life or a negative one.

* * *

Waking up the next morning was awful, but at least Sasuke wasn't sleeping in my room tonight. I don't think he'll be sleeping in my room anytime soon anyways. That bastard.

I got out of my night clothes to put on my school uniform. Luckily, the dress code wasn't anything super formal. For an expensive private school, we weren't all that formal at all. Each grade wears a different color uniform. Seniors wear navy blue, juniors wear emerald green, sophomores wear light blue, and freshman wear red.

I was never able to understand why things were this way, but I never complained since we were allowed to wear whatever shoes we wanted with our uniforms. If you were a real prep, you worse dress shoes to school, but if you were a rebel, like me, you wore sneakers. It's how we define the cliques at school so when you first walk in, you'll sort of have a feel for where you belong.

I put on my light brown khaki pants, white collar dress shirt, and light blue cardigan with my school logo the right side. As I admired myself in the mirror, I gussied up a bit and began to notice some changes in my appearance.

_I'm growing a bit of facial hair, and thank god the pimple on my face is gone. Should I comb my hair today, or let my wild blond hair be untamed?...decisions decisions. White nikes or black converse. I should probably tuck in my dress shirt, and maybe focus on gaining a bit more weight. Is it normal for a guy to have a small thigh gap at my age? Maybe it was okay freshman year but I think I should bulk up a bit, especially since gymnastics starts next season._

Believe it or not, we have a gym in our school specifically for kids who participate in the school's gymnastics team. Well, it isn't just our school, the all girl's school that is down the street from ours is also on the team too. There are more girls than boys, but I'm okay with doing a sport that's considered girly. It's fun, and I'm actually pretty good at it since I've been doing gymnastics since I was in third grade. My parents said I had "too much energy" so they suggested I did a sport that required a lot of moving around.

Alright I'll comb my hair a bit and then eat breakfast maybe? I'm not hungry, but I feel like I should.

I turn around in the mirror, checking out my back side.

_Wow, never took the time to actually check out my own butt. No wonder I'm always getting harassed by upperclassmen or groped in the hallway._

I sigh as I pick up my backpack and turn off the light in my room. I'm ready way earlier than usual. Why did I wake up so early? And why are my parents up so early too, they don't go to work until around ten thirty. They should be sleeping right now.

I sneak downstairs and I can hear my parents talking to Sasuke in the kitchen.

"We're going to visit Sai right now, we want you to make sure that Naruto is ready for school. We're not sure if he's still angry at you, but don't be surprised if he is"

_I'm still mad, I should give him a hard ass time this morning. Maybe even pull a prank on him when he's not watching._

"He's a hard nut to crack, especially if you've wronged him. He's a forgiving boy, but he also holds grudges. It's going to take a while to get on his good side, but if you use a gentler approach with your discipline, things will go fine"

_Discipline? What is this some kind of dictatorship? I don't need discipline! I never do anything wrong!_

"I understand, but sometimes I feel like it's okay to, you know, be a bit physical when it comes to discipline. But what I did yesterday was taking it too far"

"Sasuke, we know you mean well, but you are not allowed to push around your younger brother"

_He's not my brother._

"Alright, I'll keep those words in mind"

_You fucking better keep those words in mind teme._

"Today's just going to be...really stressful for us you know? It's hard to look in your son's eyes after an event like Wednesday...I just wish we'd paid more attention to Sai"

"We didn't think he was...suicidal"

_SUICIDAL_

"When we created him, we created him to be a very happy, outgoing, friendly person...there was a six percent chance of him ever feeling depressed"

"The very seldom we were around him, he always wore a smile on his face. I just wish that we didn't make him so...socially...inept ya know?"

**_They lied to you. They lied to us._**

"But we'll be back by the time Naruto gets home from school. We've still got a lot of errands to run, so for now entertain yourself at home"

"You lied to me!", I screamed as I burst into the kitchen.

"Both of you lied to me about my brother! I knew you were lying, you're both a bunch of twisted liars!"

"Naruto, we're sorry, it just wasn't the time for you to know", my mother said before bursting into tears.

"Stop crying mom! If anyone should be crying it should be me! You lied to me! My brother tried to kill himself and you lied to me! Do you know how that makes me feel!? I saw him everyday with that stupid fake smile on his face, but I always told myself not to worry about him because I didn't think he cared that he was always left alone!"

"Naruto, it's not your fault", my dad says as he begins to panic.

"Yes it is! Don't tell me it's not! It's all my fault!"

_**It's all your fault. You pushed him away every single day, you locked the door to your room some days so he couldn't get in. You did this. You need to take the blame.**_

* * *

**Author's Note: The bloded italics are just Naruto's dark thoughts, incase you were kind of confused. The reviews are nice, I've got quite a bit of followers, and I'm really satisfied with the way things are turning out :)**


	4. Chapter 4

I had to spend a lot of time that morning calming myself down. Going to school was going to be tough, but being bullied for most of your life makes you a stronger person. You learn to deal with the things that make you angry and brush it off like it's nothing.

My parents left, and I didn't know where Sasuke was, nor did I care about his where abouts. _That bastard in my house. Talking to my parents as if they are his parents. Taking their side as if they've never done a damn thing wrong. How am I supposed to forgive them? I love my parents, and they love me, but how am i supposed to forgive people who disappoint me like this?_

The first person I told about the incident last night and this morning was Kiba, and what I like about Kiba is that he dislikes my parents just as much as I do. So when I told him all the drama that was going on, he flipped a shit.

**Text From: Kiba**

**Your parents are fucking assholes. And if that Sasuke bastard comes to this school I'm going to beat the shit out of him for slapping you.**

_Oh Kiba, you always know what to say to cheer me up._

I got off my bed and told Kiba that I would talk to him in school before heading out the door to catch the bus.

* * *

**The Library**

Once again, I couldn't eat lunch in the cafeteria. People were still bothering me, asking me questions like _"What's it like living with him?"_ or _"What sports teams do you think he'll try out for?"_. Personally, I think he'll play football, it's a douche bag sport, so it'll be perfect for him.

I also think he's asexual. I don't think it's possible for him to have feelings for anybody.

"I can't believe your parents hid that from you", Shikamaru said as he punched numbers into his calculator.

"I'm surprised, but at the same time, I'm not", I reply.

"Just wait until I get my hands on that Sasuke punk"

"Kiba, calm down", Shikamaru groans.

"No! I'm sick of this. Naruto deserves nothing but the best after all the shit he's had to go through"

"Kiba, it's okay", I say trying to calm him down.

"How many times do you tell yourself that huh? How many times is that statement actually true?", he reminds me.

I look down at the book in front of me and sigh.

"You're right. I don't know how much longer I can put up with my life at home. The guy's only been here for two days and I'm ready to murder him"

"See, it's not okay after all"

"So what's your solution genius? Taking custody of him?", Shikamaru says sarcastically.

"No...I have a plan, a good plan. I wrote this list down this morning", he says deviously.

"Kiba", I say nervously.

"I know the perfect way to get back at your parents", he says as he pulls out his notebook and hands it over to me.

**How to get your parents attention.**

**1. Dye your hair**

**2. Stay out later than usual**

**3. Pierce your tongue or lip (or both)**

**4. Reply to their questions with one worded answers**

**5. Blast depressing music in your room**

**6. Stay in your room**

_Okay, so I already do number six, but really? Dye my hair?_

"Kiba", I groan.

"What? I think it's a pretty damn good plan"

"I bet it's an awful plan that will only make things worse"

"Quiet Shikamaru!", he barks.

I look behind me and see the librarian giving me the evil eye.

"Guys, we need to quiet down", I say softly.

"Hand over the list", Shikamaru demands.

I sigh, handing it over to him and crossing my arms.

"It's a very stupid plan, and it's almost laughable, but as dumb as this plan sounds, it will actually work if done correctly. But the fact that Naruto would never do any of this is what makes this plan idiotic"

"I agree with Shikamaru, there's no way I'm doing any of this. I would love to, but I can't", I say shyly.

"Naruto", Kiba says softly.

I look up at Kiba, who's giving me a heart warming smile.

"The only person that's holding you back is you"

* * *

_"The only person that's holding you back is you"_

Those words ran through my mind all day, and when the final bell rang, I was beginning to have a new outlook on Kiba's plan. _I've always wondered how my parents would react if I dyed my hair...they never really said I couldn't. They probably don't expect me to either, but what if I did?_

I opened my locker and when I closed it shut, a thin boy with a bowl cut and bushy eyebrows was in my sight. _Not him again…_

"Naruto-kun! I was looking for you all over"

I groan inwardly, but force myself to smile. It was very hard for me to be mean to anyone. Being bullied taught me not to hurt the feelings of others. You'll never know how it affects them.

"Oh, hey Lee", I say with fake enthusiasm.

"How've you been?", he asks curiously.

"I've been alright", I say dryly.

"That's good to hear. Are you doing gymnastics this year?"

"Of course I am"

"That's great! I remember you saying you loved it last year"

"Mhm", I say as I shove a few books in my bag.

"You seem to be in a hurry"

"Yeah, I try to leave the building as soon as possible. I don't want to miss my bus", I lie.

_Or run into people that I don't like._

"Silly, the buses always come fifteen minutes after the bell. You'll have plenty of time", he says with a grin.

_Damn, he got me._

"Well...um...I", I say as I struggle to find another excuse.

"You're so shy", he teases.

_And you're so annoying._

"Are you rushing because you have a date? I know how many guys and girls chase after you"

I roll my eyes, and try to place the fake smile back on my face.

"Yeah, right", I say sarcastically.

As much as the comment bothered me, I knew it was true. When I first came here last year, I was the most talked about freshman in the school. I guess a lot of students found me "attractive", and the all girls school across the street called me a "heart throb".

"I know you're probably really busy, but I asked you out on a date last week and you never replied"

"Because you asked me the week before and I told you I 'no'. Why would the answer be any different this week"

The words came out much harsher than they intended to be, and I could tell he was really hurt by what I'd said.**_ Great job Naruto, way to hurt the poor boy's feelings. Why are you such a jerk?_**

"Lee, I didn't mean it like that, it's just that I'm...into someone else", I lie.

"Oh…", he says sounding highly disappointed.

"Gosh, you're such a heartbreaker"

I look behind me and see the same group of kids that have been getting on my nerves since last year. _Perfect timing. Of course something like this would happen to me._

"What do you guys want", I say in a bored tone.

I watch Lee walk away, and I roll my eyes in annoyance. Putting up with Lee was much easier than putting up with Deidara, Yahiko, and Sasori. They're worse upperclassmen in the school.

"We just wanted to say hello to our favorite blond", Deidara teased.

"Hi", I say as I try to push past them. They corner around me, preventing me from being able to make an escape.

"Always so feisty", Yahiko said with a chuckle.

I blush, and politely ask them to move.

"Please let me go, I have a bus to catch"

I feel Deidara grope me from behind.

"Don't do that", I say as I feel a blush creep onto my face.

"I'll do it as much as I want"

_This man is testing me..._

"Move", I say growing impatient.

"But don't you want to stay after school with us? It'll be fun", Yahiko says seductively.

"No. I want to go home and do my homework"

"But wouldn't you rather do something more pleasurable", Sasori whispers in my ear.

"Leave me alone", I growl.

Again, I'm groped by Deidara.

"Stop that!", I say in defense.

"Make me", Deidara says with a smirk.

"He's not going to make you do anything and you know that. It's why you pick on him right? How Pathetic"

"Shikamaru?"

I can't see past the tall group of boys, but I recognize the voice.

"But I'll sure as hell make them"

This time, I can see a head of brown hair, and know it's Kiba. He's the tallest kid in my grade, and the most frightening.

"We'll see you around", Deidara says dismissively. His group follows him as they walk down the hall to start trouble with someone else.

_I really hope not._

"Thanks Kiba, you've been doing nothing but saving my ass this week"

"Someone's gotta protect you from those predators"

I sigh and throw my bag over my shoulders. I check my watch to see that I missed my bus, and groan out in anger.

"Lee decided to bother me again today. I spent so much time talking to him that it gave them enough time to catch me"

"It's not your fault", Shikamaru says to comfort me.

"I know it's not, but today has just been so...awful"

"We'll walk you home", Kiba says with his usual charming smile.

"Yeah, and maybe on the way to your house we can stop by the drug store and get some hair dye", Shikamaru jokes.

Kiba rolls his eyes, but I feel the need to let them know what's been on my mind about Kiba's "plan".

"I actually was considering buying hair dye sometime this week. I think I might be able to pull off a few things on Kiba's list", I say shyly.

"Are you serious? What if you get in trouble?", Shikamaru scolds.

"They never said I couldn't do any of those things on that list. I don't really have any 'rules' to follow. They just tell me to stay away from drugs and to use condoms if I'm going to have sex"

"Wow", Kiba says unimpressed by my parents' poor parenting skills.

"I have the money to buy the hair stuff, so maybe today is a good day? I can always return it if I change my mind right?"

"It's whatever you want", Kiba encourages.

"Am I the only one here who thinks this is going to cause a lot of problems?"

"That's the point genius"


	5. Chapter 5

It's around nine o' clock at night and I'm in the bathroom with a bottle of hair dye in my hand. _Should I do this? Is this really going to work?_

I open the cap and get a whiff of the chemicals, and I cringe at the odor. _This smells awful!_

I spend about fifteen minutes pacing the bathroom, thinking about all the things that could go wrong from this. _What if I do it wrong? What if I look awful? What if my parents ground me?_

I look down at the bottle one last time before throwing away all the cares and worries I have. _Screw it, I'm gonna get this done. All I have to do is dye my hair and my eyebrows and I'll be done. It's not like I'm shaving off all my hair._

* * *

Waking up the next morning felt different. I wasn't sure how my parents were going to react, I wasn't sure how my friends were going to react, and everything was just one big pain in the ass.

I walk over to the mirror and see my newly colored hair and eyebrows. _Not bad Naruto, not bad._

I change out of my night clothes, put on my school uniform, comb my hair, and then walk out of my room to brush my teeth. Fortunately, no one was walking around upstairs, so I didn't have to deal with all the questions...yet.

I brush my teeth and wash my face, letting the warm water wake me up before I leave the bathroom.

Hesitantly, I walk down the steps with my heart racing, but I eventually suck it up and begin to walk confidently to the kitchen. I can hear my family in there, talking about things that I surely did not give a fuck about.

I take a deep breath through my nose and then walk into the kitchen, which felt like walking into a lion's den.

* * *

The first person who notices me is Sasuke. For a long time, he stares at me, and when he opens his mouth to say something, nothing comes out.

"Um...Honey?", my mother says to my dad who is taking a plate out of the cabinet.

"Yes sweet heart?"

"I think there's something you might want to see"

My dad turns away from the cabinet, and when his eyes meet my hair, he drops the plate. It shatters onto the floor making a loud, hideous sound.

It was one of those moments you'd see in a movie, and as nervous as I should've been, I found their reactions pretty hysterical. On the outside, I looked serious, but on the inside, I was laughing.

"Like my new look?", I ask as I run my fingers through my dark black locks. It takes them both a while to reply to my obnoxious question.

"Why?", my mother asks.

She is beyond bewildered, and the expression on her face is so priceless that I'm almost tempted to take out my phone to snap a picture of it.

"Honey, you can't answer his question with another question", my dad says before he lets out a hearty laugh.

My dad wasn't the type of person to take things seriously, but I could see through his laughter. I knew he was only laughing to make things seem less serious, but when my mother gave him an angry glare, his laughter stopped.

"So I guess no one likes my new look", I say nervously.

Sasuke shakes his head, and leaves the room chuckling.

"You could have at least told me before surprising me like that. I could barely recognize who you were", she said as she grabbed a broom to sweep up the mess.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure if you would care or not"

She stopped sweeping up the mess and frowned at me.

"Well I do care", she says softly before going back to sweeping.

"Personally, I don't know why you did it. Now you don't look like me"

I roll my eyes at my father and watched my mother sweep up the mess.

"I don't want you dying your hair", she says as she throws away the shattered pieces.

"Why?"

"Because I said so"

"Because you said so?", I sass back to her.

I can tell my attitude was pissing her off, but I didn't really care much.

"Son, it's best that you walk to the bus stop", my dad advised.

"Fine with me", I say as I leave the kitchen.

* * *

"Woooooooooooow"

Kiba gives a slow applause and then bursts out into laughter.

"What a drag", Shikamaru says as he shakes his head.

"You are the man!", Kiba says before giving me a rough pat on the back.

"Thanks, I guess"

"I don't know if I can get used to this", Shikamaru grumbled.

"Well get used to it cause it's not changing anytime soon", Kiba teased.

I can feel a lot of eyes on me, and most people are whispering._ As if I don't know what they're talking about. All I did was change my hair people! It's not a big deal!_

"I think he looks hot", I hear Deidara say.

My face burns, and I don't dare to turn around.

"Back off, he's mine", Kiba barks viciously.

_This is way too over hyped. Not what I expected at all._

"Naruto?"

I turn around and see Lee, who looks extremely concerned.

"Yes?", I reply.

"Why did you...dye your hair?", he asks nervously.

"Just wanted to try something new", I say as I run my fingers through the silky strands.

"But your blond hair suited you really well, it was very youthful"

"Shut up ugly, he looks hot", Yahiko defends.

A group of upperclassmen whistle at me and I begin to feel very uncomfortable.

"Don't call Lee ugly", I snap.

Lee is the ugliest person in the school. I know it, he knows it, everyone knows it. Throughout freshman year everyone called him names like bushy brow, bowl cut, freak, the list could go on forever. The first time I heard someone make fun of him, I stood up for him, and that's when he started being clingy and leaving letters in my locker. He still does it, and it still makes me uncomfortable, but if I tell him to leave me alone, it'll break his heart.

"It's okay Naruto, you don't have to lie to me"

_Here we go again, he's going to cry._

"Lee, just ignore them", I say comfortingly.

"No, I'm going to leave you alone today", he says before walking away.

"Shit", I say to Kiba and Shikamaru.

"Well the kid is an eye sore", Kiba mumbles.

I sigh, unwilling to defend Lee any longer.

"I know", I grumble.

"And he has the hots for you too. It's pretty bad", Shikamaru reminds me.

"Yes, I'm fully aware of that", I groan.

"I bet you're all he thinks about", Kiba teases.

"He should be over me by now", I grumble.

"Shikamaru, you should know how I feel. I see Chouji's face light up everytime you walk by him"

"Don't talk about him", Shikamaru hisses.

We all crack up, except for Shikamaru, who watches us with an angry glare.

* * *

I've been getting nothing but compliments on my hair, which is great, but what isn't great is that I'm still getting groped in the hallways. I can also tell that the teachers are concerned about me, which is funny because all I did so far was dye my hair black. Imagine how much attention I'd get if I pierced my lip or eyebrow. My mom would flip a shit…

Before I leave english class, my teacher, who is also a close family friend, calls me over to his desk. I sigh, knowing the lecture I was going to get from him, but I try to stay calm.

"So did your parents let you do that?", he asks.

"Do what?"

"You know what I'm talking about"

He's staring at me, like he's trying to figure out what's wrong with me._ Nothing is wrong with me._

"They never said I couldn't, but when they saw my hair this morning they were...shocked"

"Yeah, I don't blame them", he mumbles.

"So you don't like my hair either? Is that it Ero-Sennin?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that", he growls.

"Yeah, yeah, don't take this personally, but this is a waste of time. There's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine", I lie.

"Naruto, I know how difficult your life has been, and your parents called me this morning saying that they're worried about you"

"I'm sure they did", I scoffed.

"They're trying to change, they really are. They even said they were going to stop making humans in their lab so they could come home earlier and spend more time with you. And I know they are really focused on Sasuke right now, but once everything is sorted out, they'll give you the attention you need. Believe me"

I look at my watch impatiently.

"And I know the kids at school are bothering you with their gossip about Sasuke, but dying your hair to give people something else to talk about...did you really think that idea through?"

I nod my head, but in a way that shows I'm only half paying attention.

"Brat, I know you're not listening to me, so to get your attention, I'm going to say this. You are headed down a very bad path, I know exactly what you're trying to do, and it's only going to cause problems"

"All I did was dye my hair", I say as I grow frustrated with his lecture.

"And that's all you're going to do?"

"Yes, now can I please go to lunch now"

His eyes are locked on me like I'm some unsolvable math equation.

"Go", he says.

I leave the classroom and actually go to lunch. Ever since this morning, people have only talked about my hair, so no one has spoken a word about Sasuke. It's all about me now, and I couldn't be happier.

* * *

School is over, but instead of going to my locker, I decide to hide in the bathroom stall for a few minutes. I know Lee is probably looking for me, and I can't deal with him right now.

"That Uzumaki brat"

I know whose voice it is, and it makes my stomach tighten. _Neji._

"Such an attention whore. All everyone has been talking about today is his stupid new hair color. Who does he think he is?"

_And Kabuto._

"I don't know, but it's annoying. He already gets enough attention on the gymnastics team, everyone spends so much time admiring how great he is on the bars, but no one ever acknowledges how flawless my floor routines are", I hear Neji complain.

"Bars are for monkeys, your floor routines are always graceful", Kabuto compliments.

"Thank you", Neji says in his typical arrogant voice.

"He's just so damn irritating", Neji says going back to the topic of me.

"I hear he's in honors bio. I bet his parents do his homework for him. There's no way he's that smart"

The words bounce around in my head, giving me a headache, and I begin to feel the way I did at public school. _I'm alone, in the bathroom, and I can hear people talking shit about me_. Their words will be tattooed into my memory until I'm able to move on from them, but I'll never forget them. I never forget anything that hurts me, and sometimes the words just replay in my head like a broken record. Over, and over, and over, and over.

_**Are you really going to let them say those things about you? Are you going to be weak like you were in public school?**_

Suddenly, I don't feel like myself. I kick the stall door open in anger, and the two pricks are startled.

"I don't know what you have against me Kabuto, I really don't, but what Neji says, doesn't surprise me", I growl.

They both look at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Stop being such a bitch Neji. Do everyone in this school a favor and get over yourself. You may have been the star gymnast freshman year, but the team has gotten bigger, and there are more talented people besides you", I spit.

"But you're still stuck in the past aren't you? Still can't get over the fact that not all the eyes are on you?! Grow the fuck up already! You're a Junior for fucks sake!"

Their eyes widen, and I feel electricity run through my body.

"And you know what Kabuto? My parents don't do my bio homework for me. I don't get any help on it, and even if I did, no one would be around to help me at home. Did you know that?", I say as I clench my fists.

"I think we should leave", Kabuto says to Neji.

"Good idea"

They both rush out of the bathroom, and I can tell that I had really scared them, which made me feel good. But I was still very upset, and alone, and even less willing to leave the bathroom. Too many people would bother me, and I felt like I was trapped in a box. So I did what I always do when I'm alone and unhappy. I cried, but pulled myself together after a few minutes. I had to get on the bus, and I kept on reminding myself that it was Friday. It was my only motivation to leave the hell hole.

* * *

When I got home, I could tell I was going to once again, be lectured, which I was not in the mood for. I put my backpack by the front door, took off my shoes, and walked into the family room, where I saw my parents and Sasuke casually conversing.

"Have a seat", my mother says.

"Nah, I'm good. I've had a long day, I just want to take a nap", I reply.

"Naruto, it's not an option. Take a seat", she says more sternly.

I groan, and take a seat that is farthest from all of them as possible.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Rules", my father replies.

"We never really made any, but after today, I realize the importance of having them. They keep things in balance", my mother says.

"Alright, lay down the law", I say as I cross my arms.

"Rule number one is that you will not disrespect me or your father. The sass you gave me this morning was not acceptable"

"Oh, sorry about that"

But the tone of my voice told them I wasn't very sorry, and my mother only shook her head at me.

"Rule number two, you can not dye your hair"

"Alright, whatever"

"Rule number three, you can not hit or throw things at your brother"

I look over at Sasuke, who looks just as bored as I do.

"Rule number four, your curfew is ten o' clock", my father says.

"Rule number five. Both of you need to apologize to each other. We never talked about what happened on Wednesday, but now that we're all together, it's the perfect time to", my mother says.

"I'm sorry Sasuke"

"Not good enough", my father says.

"Both of you, stand up"

We looked over at each other before slowly getting up out of our seats.

"Sasuke, walk over to Naruto"

He does as he's told, and he's a few inches away from me. I refuse to look him in the eyes.

"Now look each other in the eyes", my mother orders.

I look into his dark, sharpie colored eyes, and I begin to feel nervous. He's the biggest douche I've ever met, but I still get all tingly when I'm near him. It makes me disgusted with myself.

"Apologize", my father says.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you, it wasn't the solution, and it only made things worse"

I could tell his apology was sincere, but I still wasn't ready to forgive him.

"Do you forgive me?", he asks softly.

"No"

I see my mother and father frown out of the corner of my eye and I can tell that Sasuke is upset. None of it bothers me though.

"Naruto", my father says calmly.

"I'm not going to forgive him"

"I thought you were more mature than this", he replies.

"If I punched you in the face, would you accept my apology when it's two days late?", I ask.

"Yes, I'll always forgive you, and your mother will too. Do you know why?"

I don't have an answer to his question, and I assume that he was going to answer it himself anyways.

"Because we love you"

"Yeah, I know that. But what about him? Is he even capable of loving anybody? He's more like a robot than a human. He was made in a lab"

"Why would you even ask that?", my father asks as if I'm crazy.

"Of course he has feelings! We made sure that he had them! How do you think you're making _him_ feel when _you_ say things like that? How can _you_ be so cruel?", my mother snaps.

"Me..._cruel_?"

I feel numb, and I can feel my sanity explode in my body as I begin to laugh almost hysterically.

I wipe a tear from my eye, and I don't know if it's from the laughter, or the sadness of it all.

"You're right, I'm just a cruel selfish human being"

I can tell that my mother regrets calling me that, and my father looks unsure of what to say or do.

"I'm just so awful aren't I? But you know what's funny? I'm not the one who spends most of their life in a lab and away from their child, I'm not the one who bullied anybody, I'm not the one", I say as I hold back the tears.

"Who lied to their child about their brother's suicide, that's not me!", I shout at them. They both wince, and my mother looks terrified.

"Naruto", Sasuke says softly.

"No! It's not fair! Do you even forgive me?! What about him? Why am I the only one who should feel guilty?"

"You're not, and I do forgive you. You're my brother, I love you", he replies.

His words are soothing, like a drug that sedates me. The sincerity in his voice makes me calm down, and I feel his arms wrap around me.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I really am", he says as he holds me tighter in his arms.

"I forgive you", I somehow bring myself to say. I hear my parents sigh in relief, and everything feels alright again.

He finally lets go of me, and he gently wipes a tear from my face, reminding me that everything is going to be okay. For now, of course.

* * *

**Author's Note: Decided to add some SasuNaru fluff to the chapter. Things were getting really sad, and I wanted something that would break away from the gloomy neglected children thing. **

**So what do you think will happen next? Do you think Naruto should've forgiven Sasuke? Leave reviews with answers :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Saturday morning was the least stressful morning I've had all week. No school, nothing to worry about, and knowing that things between Sasuke and I are resolved makes me happy. The only issue is that a part of me still hates him, even though I told him that I forgive him. It was only said to keep everyone else happy.

I decide to go downstairs, and when I run into my parents, I feel nervous. Yelling at them last night was wrong, but I had to get my anger out. It's a much better solution than what I used to do.

"You're seeing Sai today"

My face lights up, and my morning is made.

"Really? They're letting me?"

"Yes, we finally got them to agree with us. We argued with them on the phone all morning", my mother says.

"You deserve to see him", my father adds on.

Out of excitement, I jump into my mother's arms and hug her. She puts her arms around me in a warm embrace, and I feel like crying tears of joy. _I finally get to see my brother._

* * *

I'm in the car with my mother and my father. We left Sasuke behind, which doesn't surprise me. But I'm relieved that he isn't going with us.

"Son, we have something important to tell you. It's last minute, but it took us a lot of time to think about", my father says.

"What is it?", I ask curiously.

"We're going out of town tonight for an interview and a photoshoot for some science magazine", my mother says.

"Sasuke's going with us, since they want him to be in the interview as well. It's going to be on live television!", my dad says with excitement.

"That's cool!", I reply with excitement.

_Yes! I have the whole house to myself tonight! This is going to be great!_

"But what we're worried about is you. We won't be back till nine in the morning. We'll be spending the night at a hotel", my mother says.

_This is absolutely perfect!_

"Don't do anything you know you're not supposed to do", my father warns me.

"We trust you, please don't give us a reason not to", my mother adds.

"Your father and I have been debating this all week, but it wasn't until last night when we finally made the decision"

"Please, don't make us regret it", my father says softly.

"You can count on me! I won't do anything bad, I promise", I say in my goody two shoes voice.

"We believe you, and if you you feel like you're in danger, call Jiraiya or Kakashi, or even Iruka", he says.

"No problemo, I'm going to show you guys that I'm responsible"

"Don't dye your hair any funky colors while I'm gone", my mother grumbles.

"Are you really still stuck on that?", I ask.

"Yes! Because people are going to think that I let you do that, which I didn't", she hisses.

"It's just hair dye", I mumble.

"But it's also a reflection of who we are as parents. People are going to think you're going through some type of phase", my father says in defense.

"Sasuke's hair is black", I retort.

"Because we wanted it to be that color. Going from sunny blond hair to a darker more...what's the the word I'm looking for"

"Emo", my dad replies.

"Emo color", my mom says louder than she needed to.

I cross my arms and roll my eyes at her ignorance.

"Dying your hair black makes you look like an emo, and I doubt Sai will even recognize you. That's how different you look"

"Whatever", I grumble. _Mom, it's called being emo, not being an emo._

* * *

I sit in the chair that is next to Sai's bed and smile at him. We're both alone, and seeing him made my heart feel heavy.

"Hey Sai", I say with a soft smile.

"Who are you?"

He asks the question, but I know he's joking because he's smiling when he says it.

"Ha Ha. Funny", I reply sarcastically.

"Why'd you dye your hair black?"

"I thought we would be discussing more important things like how you feel today, and how the doctors are treating you. We really shouldn't be talking about me"

"I feel alright, the doctors are nice. Now tell me about your hair", he demands.

"Sai", I say in a strained voice.

"I want to know. I'm sure the story will make my day. Did you lose a bet or something?"

"No, I did it on my own free will"

"So you just did it for yourself?"

"Not exactly", I say slowly.

"So why'd you do it?"

"Because...I wanted to make my parents notice me"

He raises an eyebrow, growing interested in what I'm telling him.

"And I also wanted to make them mad. I think my mom is the only angry one, my dad was just shocked...You should've seen their faces the morning that they saw my hair. My dad dropped a plate! That's how shocked he was", I say with a proud smile.

Sai laughs, and his smile is real, which brightens up my day even more.

"So this is your way of rebelling huh?", he asks.

"I guess you can say so"

He nods in agreement with my actions.

"Keep doing it"

I give him a funny look.

"You know, you're the only one in the family who is encouraging me to do this", I say before chuckling.

"Because I'm the only person in the family who understands why you're doing it"

I look into his eyes, and I suddenly realize that he understands me, and that he always has. Despite all his pervertedness and teasing, he's always tried to be there for me, even when I wanted to be left alone.

"Naruto, I want you rebel. Do it for you, and do it for me", he says with a smile.

"Are you sure? I'm kind of scared. The second thing I was planning to do was pierce my lip or my nose, but I'm beginning to have second thoughts. I'm pretty sure it goes against their rules"

"Rules? Since when did the house ever have rules?", he asks as if it is the most absurd news he's heard all week.

"A lot of things happened while you were gone"

"So I've heard", he replies.

"How's living with Sasuke?"

"So far, it's been one hell of a rollercoaster", I say before letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, I can only imagine. You weren't very fond of me when I first moved in either", he teases.

"Cause you were perverted, and I bet you still are"

He laughs, which confuses me, but I don't question it.

"I see a psychiatrist who is going to help me with my social issues. Hopefully, it will work, so I won't be a pervert or whatever. Right now, I'm holding back the urge to say a lot of...sexual things"

"Good to know", I reply sarcastically.

"So what's Sasuke like? I bet he's perfect right? He was designed to be"

"Yes, in my parents eyes, Sasuke is perfect", I reply with sadness in my voice.

"I bet they pay so much attention to him"

"To be honest, things have been so chaotic between me and my parents that they've finally noticed how much attention I need"

"That's wonderful", he says with a grin.

"And you wanna know a secret?", he asks.

I lean in when he asks the question, wanting to know the juicy information.

"I knew that Sasuke was being created, and I knew when the creation was complete. I was aware of everything"

"What? How?!"

I'm completely shocked, and I could only imagine how he felt when he found out that my parents were creating another human.

"I get bored, and your mom leaves her phone everywhere. Her password is 1010"

"That's my birth date...October 10th", I say sounding very confused.

"Yeah, and for someone who's so smart, her password is pretty easy to figure out"

I laugh softly, and I feel like I'm about to tear up. _Her password is my birthday…_

"So I would go through all her text messages when she wasn't around. She'd always talk about how much progress she was making with him. And when they were finally done creating him, she texted all her co-workers about how kind he was, how easily he got along with others, and how beautiful he was...she was so proud of how normal he turned out. Not only did I read those texts, but I read some texts about you too. She said nothing but positive things"

My heart broke by listening to how he described my mother's texts. _Is this why he took his life? Because he was going to be replaced by someone who is everything he isn't? Who is everything he was supposed to be?_

"So I figured, what purpose do I serve in this house? What am I to them? What am I to anyone?"

I felt warm tears escape my eyes, and the room had seemed a lot smaller than before.

"Sai...you tried to take your own life...because of Sasuke..didn't you?", I ask quietly.

"I was being replaced, and whenever they were around, they would rather pay attention to you than to me. I wasn't the one who'd been bullied at school, I wasn't the one who tried to run away, I didn't have to deal with the stress of school. All I did was stay at home, paint pictures, watch daytime television, what struggles did I have? And after you graduate, would they talk to me when they come home or would they continue to ignore me?...Did I really want to live long enough to know the answer?

I stopped holding back on how hard I wanted to cry, and I finally let go, balling hysterically.

"You were alone. You were more alone that I was when I was bullied in public school, you were so alone, and I did nothing to comfort you", I cried.

"The past is the past"

I look at him with a shocked expression.

"Things are getting better, and they promised that they'd visit me regularly", he says with a grin.

"Stop smiling as if this doesn't hurt you!"

"It does, but I can't dwell on it forever. If I want things to get better, I have to forgive them, and trust that they're going to stay true to their word"

I rub my eyes to dry them, and I calm myself down by breathing slowly through my nose.

"How can you forgive them when I still struggle to?", I choke out.

He sighs at my question before giving an explanation.

"Although they failed to make me a lot of things...they succeeded in making me forgiving. That's the most important thing a human can be. And you know who told me that? Your parents"

"You don't deserve this", I say to change the subject.

"I know, and that's why I want you to get back at your parents. I may forgive them, but I also think it's time they got what they deserved"

I nod my head in agreement.

"So do what you want, break all their rules, give them a hard time"

"Trust me, I will", I say boldly. Sai laughs at my bravery, and I laugh with him.

"You know", Sai begins.

"At one point I was thinking that I should rebel to get attention. I wanted to dye my hair or fake an illness, whatever it took to get them to see me. Then I realized how pointless it would be because even if I did do those crazy things, I doubt they'd care, so keep on rebelling. You're the only one who can"

I get out of my chair and hug him. I hugged him tighter than Sasuke hugged me yesterday, and if I could, I would never let go.

"I know I never showed you or told you", I say softly.

"But I love you, and my life wouldn't feel right without you. I'm going to visit you as much as possible"

"Thank you Naruto. I love you too"

* * *

**Author's Note: I've been so in love with this story that I feel the need to update it every 3 or four days, I just love writing it! Nice brotherly love at the end of the chapter :)**

**Reviews are always wonderful, and It'd make me really happy if you checked out my other stories too. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Ever since I got home from visiting my brother, my parents have been out and about, leaving Sasuke and me alone for a while. He finally decided to break the ice by sitting next to me while I was watching television. I didn't mind, and we'd even managed to have some small talk. The shitty thing is that as much as I want to push him away, I still sort want to get to know him. I hate him, but I don't want him to hate me, and I don't want to argue with him either. Him being attractive only makes things more complicated and confusing. It also makes me nervous when I talk to him. Why am I so pathetic?

"Naruto, how do you feel about me?", he asks.

The question was random and unexpected. I didn't know how to answer it.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean"

He says it in a way that makes me think he's mocking me, and as much as I try to hide it, I wouldn't be surprised if he knew I had some sort of unbrotherly like feelings for him.

"I think you're alright", I lie.

"You should work on being more honest with yourself"

"What are you talking about?", I ask as if I'm being cornered.

"I think you like me"

"Ha!", I shout sarcastically before changing the channel.

"And what makes you think that? Have you forgotten the argument we had not long ago? When you slapped me", I spit viciously.

I hate bringing up the fight, but he needed the reminder. It's not like an apology can tape up all the damage. Usually time can do the healing, but sometimes things just stay broken.

"No, I haven't forgotten that"

"What do you know about how people feel anyways?", I ask cruelly.

The question comes out harsher than how I wanted it too, but I still cared very little for how he felt. If he could feel at all.

"Too be honest, I know the same amount that you know when it comes to other people's feelings"

"Oh really?", I ask sarcastically.

"Yes. I studied human relationships and communication two weeks before I came here. I bet you didn't know that did you? You probably just thought that the day I moved in was the first day I had ever seen earth and what a house looks like"

"None of that surprises me. I know that you've been around for a while. My parents probably kept you locked up in the lab for a few weeks, cramming as much information into you about human relations as possible. That's how it was right?"

"How did you know?", he asks suspiciously.

"I just know", I retort.

"Sai probably told you"

"So what if he did", I snap.

There's a bit of an awkward silence after I snap at him, and I consider going back into my room to get away from him. There's only so much Sasuke I can handle.

"I read this book to pass time in the lab. It was nothing educational, it was just a regular novel about a boy and a girl"

I turn the volume down so I can hear his blabbering.

"Let's just say the guy made a few bad mistakes, and the girl found him to be annoying. At first, I thought she hated his guts, but as I kept on reading I realized how funny she acted when he was around, and from time to time she'd talk about how he made her blush"

"So what?", I ask as I begin to grow nervous.

"The first day you met me, I noticed how your cheeks turned kind of red. I thought it was because you were shy, but as I began to observe you, I rejected that thought. And while we were talking a few minutes ago, you seemed really...not like yourself. You don't act that way around your mom and dad, so I'm guessing that makes me someone special right?"

"Sure, whatever makes you happy", I say like I don't care. But now matter how much I pretended not to care, fireworks were going off in my stomach. I wasn't expecting my cover to be blown so easily.

"I'm not a fool", he states firmly.

"Well neither am I", I retort.

"Yes you are"

The words are ridiculing, making me want to punch him in the face.

"Only a fool denies his feelings"

Before I can blow up at him, my parents call his name.

"Sasuke, you should be getting ready! We have to leave in an hour!", my father shouts.

I give him the stank eye as he walks away to get ready for his "big debut" or whatever the hell you'd call it.

My mother walks past Sasuke and over to me.

"Don't do anything stupid", she reminds me.

"I know", I groan.

She kisses me on the forehead and I scrunch my face.

"I love you", she says tenderly.

"Love you too", I say with a small smile.

"The interview will be on channel eight tonight at five. Don't miss it", she say after ruffling my hair.

"Wouldn't miss it for anything in the world"

I bet she was too excited to hear the slight sarcasm in my voice.

* * *

**Text From: Kiba**

**Yo! You're parents are gone for 24 hours? You got the house all to yourself! I say you invite a few friends over for the night. It'll be like a low key party.**

* * *

**Text Sent to: Kiba**

**I like that idea, but I don't want to invite too many people. So it should be me, you, Shikamaru, Sakura, Ino, and maybe my cousin Karin?**

* * *

**Text From: Kiba**

**I don't know man Karin's wilder than I am. We might end up doing some really stupid shit if she's around.**

* * *

**Text sent to: Kiba**

**That's why I'm thinking about inviting her. The wilder the get together, the better. We all haven't hung out in a while and I miss that. I don't care if we drink, bring whatever you want to my house, as long as it's nothing crazy.**

* * *

**Text From: Kiba**

**What do you mean by "crazy"?**

* * *

**Text Sent to: Kiba**

**Don't play dumb :P I'll invite Karin and Sakura and you invite Ino and Shikamaru. Plan?**

* * *

**Text from: Kiba**

**Fine by me. I can't wait!**

* * *

To pass time I watched the news. I wasn't sure when my friends were coming, but I hoped they came late. As much as I don't like to admit it, I actually wanted to see the interview. I could learn a few things or two.

I checked the time and saw that it was five, and I watched the screen intently. Big bold letters floated across it, and as I read them, I knew it was time.

The first few minutes of it were very boring, but I took the time to notice the small things, like how perfect Sasuke and my parents looked. My mother wore a dark blue blouse and dark wash jeans with silver jewelry. For her age, she looked so much younger, and so did my father. Sasuke was dressed formally, but not too formal, and his green shirt fitted him nicely.

I watched, unimpressed for a while. The interviewer asked basic questions like "What made you want to create humans?" and "How are you going to get him into the school system?".

Sasuke barely said anything. I think they only invited him to the interview to say "look at this wonderful human that was created by these wonderful scientists. Look at his face, isn't he flawless?". It was really a shame, and I felt bad for him, even though I can't stand him. I was ready to flip the channel, until a question was asked that caught my attention.

_"What is life like at the Uzumaki household?"_

The question drew me in, regaining my interest that was lost along a long time ago.

"Life at home is pretty calm. Sasuke gets along with his brother pretty well, right Sasuke?", my father says jokingly.

"Yes", he grumbles.

"Naruto and Sasuke argue from time to time, but hey, it's what siblings do right? Even I have small feuds with Naruto, but we work it out in the end. We're just that close ", my mother says after letting out a fake laugh.

I can see through everything, and know that they planned a bit for these kind of questions on the car ride there.

Is this real life? Are they actually on television...lying like this?

"You said 'brother' and only mentioned your biological son Naruto, but what about your other creation Sai? Isn't_ he_ a part of the family too? How has he been? There hasn't been much news about him since last year", she asks with concern.

_Yeah you asshole, why didn't you mention Sai? Oh wait...you probably weren't planning on bringing him up unless he was brought up by someone else. What are you going to say? Did you prepare for this? Or will you fail at lying to them the way you failed to lie to me that day?_

"Unfortunately, Sai has been sick for a while. We took him back to the lab a few days before New Years Eve. We're not sure what's wrong, but other scientists have been working on finding a solution. We've heard that he's been doing better than before, but it will take a bit more time for things to be resolved"

That was it. No other questions evolved from my mother's response. They moved onto a different topic, but I didn't care for it, nor could I hear it. There was too much noise going on in my mind, too much anger coursing through my veins. _What a bunch of fucking liars._

* * *

**Author's Note: Yaaay updated! Surprised by the ending? I know the chapter is short, but I intentionally made it that way cause it's kind of a cliff hanger and I like cliff hangers. They keep people on their toes. Next chapter will be...interesting. I promise :)**


	8. Chapter 8

After watching the rest of the pitiful interview, the doorbell rang. _Perfect timing_. I open the door, and I'm greeted with two beautiful, but devious smiles on flawless faces.

"We're early, but that's how we roll"

"No, you guys came at a perfect time. Come on in", I say invitingly.

Sakura and Ino both walk in, and Sakura always seem to be amazed by the size of my house, even though she's seen it multiple times.

"Wow, I swear this place gets bigger every time I walk inside", Sakura says in astonishment.

"Looks the same to me", Ino says with a yawn.

"Ino's right Sakura, nothing about this place has changed", I grumble.

"Whatever", Sakura says as she walks through my house as if it's a maze.

"So where's dog boy and his stoner friend?", Ino asks.

"Shikamaru doesn't smoke weed", I say in defense.

"You sure? He's kind of a bum", Ino says as she studies a piece of artwork in the hallway.

There was no denying that statement.

"Yeah, he's lazy, pretty bummish, but he only smokes cigarettes"

"Riiiight", Ino says sarcastically before letting out an obnoxious chuckle.

I ignore her sarcasm, and continue to talk to her.

"They should be here in thirty minutes or so. I'll text and ask", I say reassuringly.

"That's good. So is anyone else gonna be here? I heard that this is supposed to be a party", Sakura asks curiously.

I chuckle nervously, unsure of what you'd call this little get together.

"Not exactly...It's just you guys, Kiba, Shikamaru, and possibly Karin"

"You invited Karin?", Ino asks excitedly.

"Yeah", I say as I try to hide my regret.

"Good. We need someone besides me to lighten up the party", Ino says snidely.

I roll my eyes at her sarcastic bitchy attitude. Overtime, I got used to it. At first, I hated Ino with a burning passion, and since Sakura didn't go anywhere without her, I used to invite Sakura over as little as possible. When Sakura and I started dating, I learned to put up with Ino because if she didn't approve, things would get ugly. And although there are so many terrible characteristics in such a small girl, there are three things that make up for it. One: She's hot, two: It's hilarious to watch her when she's drunk (because she's not a bitch which also makes it easier to talk to her), and three: she'll have your back no matter what.

"Where's the liquor?", Sakura asks.

"My parents have a few bottles somewhere in the kitchen, but Kiba said he'd be supplying the booze"

"If he comes with only beer I'm going to knock him the fuck out", Sakura says in her typical overly aggressive voice.

I laugh at the thought of her small fists clashing into Kiba's toned stomach, causing the bones in her hand to shatter to pieces.

"Don't worry, he knows you guys aren't going to want beer"

Somehow, we ended up walking back into the family room. Back to square one.

"Okay, so what should we do for now?", Ino asks.

"Uhhhm, I don't know, what do you want to do for now?", I ask to turn the question on her.

"If she knew she wouldn't be asking you, idiot", Sakura grumbles.

I sigh, trying to think of a way to entertain the girls until everyone else arrived.

"I don't know, why not watch some television", I suggest.

"Great Idea! We can watch part of the season finale of 90210", Sakura chirps enthusiastically.

"Can we not", I say sounding horrified by her taste in tv shows.

"Oh my god, I almost forgot that was on tonight!", Ino asks as she runs for the remote.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me", I complain.

"Quit whining. If you have a problem with what we're watching you can go in your room and read a book or masturbate or whatever guys like to do in their spare time", Ino says dismissively.

I roll my eyes at her insulting remark, and chose to tolerate the garbage entertainment that teenage girls indulge themselves in. It's a lot better than having them think I'm in my room masturbating.

* * *

After twenty minutes of being tortured by horribly written drama and terrible actors, I'm saved by the bell.

"Finally!", I groan in relief.

"Shhhh!", both of the angry girls say at once.

I mutter a few things under my breath as I walk to the door, hoping that whatever Kiba brought over would be enough to get us all wasted. Well, more of them, and less of me, I wasn't into getting shit faced. I liked to be in control.

"Yo!", Kiba shouts as he walks right in without much of a care. Karin and Shikamaru are tagging along behind them, and as excited as I am to see them, it'd be nice if they'd at least take off their shoes.

"Shoes you guys", I remind them.

"Oh, right", they say before laughing at their poor manors.

"Sorry, I guess you can say we're a bit pumped", Kiba says.

"Yeah, I invited a few more people too. This party is gonna be hella loud", Karin shouts before fist bumping Kiba.

"No, no, you don't get it! This party needs to be hella quiet", I say sounding aggravated by Karin's overboard party animal antics.

"That's why he only invited us", Shikamaru scolds her.

Karin being scolded by Shikamaru made me feel good. At least I knew he'd always have my side and lay down the law. In a way, he was like me. He wasn't much of a party animal, didn't like getting drunk, and served as a mediator for everything. It's almost as if his job is to make sure things are under control.

"Don't worry, it's only five other people", Karin says in defense.

"Five people too many!", I argue.

"Chill guys, let's have fun tonight", Kiba says to try and break the tension.

I can tell that he's already sort of tipsy by the way he's talking and carefully putting the drinks down on the table.

Shikamaru and I give Karin an intimidating glare, but Karin only smiles to further enforce Kiba's "chill out" statement.

"Naruto, your parents won't be home till tomorrow morning, and it's not like your neighbors are going to snitch to your parents about all the cars in the driveway. I mean, let's be real, have they ever spoken a word to your parents?", Kiba says to pursue us into calming down.

"He has a point", Shikamaru says.

I look over at Karin, who is nodding like a bobble head in agreement.

"See, everyone thinks we're going to be fine, as long as the music's not too loud, and no one does anything stupid", Kiba says as he pats me on the back.

I groan at how easily everyone takes Kiba's side, but I don't say a word, not wanting to show that I sort of agree with him too.

"Karin!", Sakura shouts as she runs over to sidekick number two.

Sakura was close to Karin, not as close as Ino was, but still close, making Karin sidekick number two. Ino would always be number one.

The two bubbly girls hug each other as if they never get to see each other in school, and I glance over at Kiba who is blatantly checking out my exes behind. Part of me wants to hit him, but another part of me is telling me "It's not like you're still dating her". Which is true.

We broke up over seven months ago, and she's probably sucked a few dicks once she got over me. I know, it sounds mean of me to say, but it's the truth. A lot of things about her have changed since we broke up, but I still like to be around her. There's something about her presense and the advice she gives that makes me greatful to have her as a friend.

"Okay, let's break out the alcohol!", Ino says ignoring the two overly excited females.

You could easily tell she was jealous. It was in her nature, and even when I was dating Sakura, she gave her such a hard time for "ignoring" her. The bitch practically went on half our dates! If anything, it was almost as if I was dating her too!

"Naruto, you need this", she says as she hands me a can of beer.

I give her a half hearted smile before opening the can and taking a few sips.

"I know a fun drinking game we can play to spice things up!", Karin says enthusiastically.

"Alright, I'm down for it", Kiba says.

Everyone else seems to agree, so I assume that I'm going to have to play, even though I know things will go wrong if I do.

She pulls dice out of her pocket, and a few of us give her a strange look.

"I've done this before", Shikamaru comments.

"Dice? Really?", Sakura asks as if the game is going to be lame.

"It's a simple game, and a quick, competitive way to get us all drunk", she replies.

"Lay down the rules", I say eagerly.

"Alright, so the boys and the girls break up into group. Each group is handed a die, and they roll at the same time. If both dice land on an even number, the girls take a shot, and if both dice land on an odd number, the boys take a shot"

"So what happens if one dice shows an even number, and the other shows an odd one?", I ask curiously.

"Then everyone ends up drinking, duh", Karin retorts to my stupid question.

"Oh", I say sheepishly.

"Okay, so let's do this boys!", Kiba yells to get us pumped.

Shikamaru gives Kiba his usual "I'm not amused" look, and I, of course, have to pretend to be just as pumped as he is.

"Oh, and one more rule", Karin says mischievously.

We all look at her, waiting for the bomb to drop.

"If a teammate pukes, or refuses to take a shot, that team loses"

"Then I'm not going to play. I don't want to die from alcohol poisoning", I snap.

"You idiot, we're only doing eight rounds max. I would never make someone take fifteen shots. That's how you die"

I exhale, relieved that we weren't going to do anything too extreme, or so I thought.

* * *

It took us a bit of time to set up the game, but it gave me enough time to calm myself down. Secretly, I was very competitive about this. I didn't want to be the loser who makes the whole team lose, and I definitely didn't want to lose to the likes of Ino and Karin. That alone would be pretty shameful, even though I knew it was going to be a brutal challenge. Karin and Ino probably drank regularly, making them have a higher tolerance than me, and maybe even Shikamaru, despite their height.

The dice are rolled, and we all look anxiously at the two small game pieces that decide our fate.

"Looks like we're not taking shots this round", Sakura gloats.

_I already hate this game._

I take a shot, the strong taste of alcohol burns the back of my throat, and it makes me want to tear up. But I can't. I'm a man.

The dice are rolled once again, and this time, they're both evens, and I thank god for that. I was not ready to take another sip, and I watched as the girls took their first shot of alcohol.

"Here, you roll", Shikamaru offers.

"Why me?", I ask.

"Who not?"

Since he is insisting that I take the dice, I take them from his hands, giving me the power.

"Game on", I say to get everyone pumped for what was to come.

I know, my change in attitude is kind of weird, but it's justified. My first shot got me loosened up, It's the first time I've hung out with all of them together in a while, and I'm ready to cause some trouble. After all, this party is more than just for fun. It's also for a broken soul who's lying in a hospital bed because his parents made him feel like nothing.

* * *

**Author's Note: Yeah, I know the chapter is short. Sue me -.-**

**Anyways, it's only short because of build up. I didn't want the chapter to be too long either because long chapters just bother me in general. I update fairly quick enough so no one is left with a cliff hanger for too long.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading, leave nice reviews :) **

**Love you all :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Six shots. That's the amount of shots I'd taken, and I have no idea how I didn't puke. I don't even remember what game we were playing that got me this wasted. I don't even know who won.

"Alright everyone, listen up!", a high pitched drunk voice shouts over loud music.

I look around, too drunk to care about the large amount of unexpected guests. No clue when the hell they all arrived, but I recognize all of the faces.

"I think we shouldall doa toast", Ino shouts.

I look down and see a drunk Sakura sitting in my lap with a red plastic cup in her hand.

"Great Idea!", Sakura shouts in agreement.

Everything is blurry, and even though I can hear everything that's going on, I'm confused and relaxed. It's an unexplainable feeling, really.

"A toast to Naruto!", she says as she raises her cup.

I hear everyone cheer, but I still can't figure out why. Maybe I did something cool that I can't remember? I'm not sure. Cool isn't exactly how I'd describe myself.

"To Uzumaki!", I hear half the room shout. Everyone else is too busy laughing or trying to get it on.

"Naruto", a drunken Sakura says as I struggle to keep her body from falling over.

"Uhuh", I reply sloppily.

"_I love you_"

My heart beat picks up, and I can't think of anything smart to say back, so I just stare at her. My eyelids feel heavy, and my body is heating up quickly.

"Uh, what, I can't hear you. The music's too loud", I lie.

I knew that if I didn't come up with something quick, she would assume that I didn't care, which I do. I really wish she didn't tell me this though.

"I said"

_Please don't say it._

She looks at me with glossy emerald eyes, and beneath her obvious appearance of being drunk out of her mind, I see sadness. Her cheeks are tinged red, and I wonder if she's going to forget this like I probably will.

"Never mind, I don't even remember", she says before giving the "whatever" hand motion and laughing hysterically.

"Oh, okay", I say as calmly as possible. _Was she just screwing with me?_

She will never know the chaos that was going on in my brain at that moment. Let's just say I felt like someone dunked my head in a pot of boiling water and wasn't letting it out any time soon. And after minutes of torturous heat, I finally ran out of air. Everything turned black.

* * *

I woke up the next morning with a hangover. The house looked messier than a kid's play room (Sai would be proud), and the only people left were Karin, Kiba, and Shikamaru. I figured that Ino and Sakura left cause they got bored.

"Kiba", I groan out in pain.

He can't hear me, and his snoring is so loud that if I hadn't passed out, I wouldn't have been able to sleep through it.

"Kiba!", I say louder.

I turn my head towards Karin who is lying on the sofa butt naked. Not the first time I've seen her like this, which is kind of awkward to think about since she's...my cousin.

"Shikamaru", I groan hopelessly.

He grumbles something, and I have to ask him about three times before I can make out anything he says.

"What time is it?", he asks.

The lightbulb in my head turns on, and panic hits me when I realize that my parents will be coming home.

"Dammit!", I shout as I sluggishly drag my body off the sofa.

"I guess it's time for us to leave", he grumbles.

I look at the time, realizing it's one in the afternoon.

"What the hell? Where are my parents?"

"Aren't they staying in some fancy hotel?", Karin asks.

I'm surprised that she woke up.

"Yeah. They said they'd be home this morning, but it's one in the afternoon"

"Check to see if they called"

I walk over to the phone and see that I missed a call this morning. I play the voicemail, hoping that nothing bad happened.

Hi Naruto, I hope you didn't stay up too late last night. My dad laughs, making me feel less tense. I know we said we'd be back in the morning, but there's a lot of traffic, and we left the hotel later than usual. So we won't be home until around dinner time.

I look at Karin's distressed face, and give her a comforting smile.

"They won't be home until around five or six"

Her facial expression lightens. Mine only turns to disgust when I realize how much of a mess this party had made.

"I'll stay and help you clean for a while"

Her voice is telling me she really doesn't want to, but I'll take whatever help I can get, even if it is out of pity.

I sigh, knowing that there's a long road of cleaning ahead of me.

"You take upstairs, I take downstairs", I suggest.

"Might as well. I'll wake up Kiba so he can help you clean downstairs, and I'm sure Shikamaru will help me clean upstairs", she says unenthusiastically.

"I swear, I don't know what I'd do without you"

I feel as if I'm worshiping her, and I bet she's loving every minute of it.

"Honestly, I don't know what you'd do either"

There were no other exchange of words after that. The only sounds you could hear throughout the house for the next four hours were footsteps and the humming of the vacuum cleaner. No noisy drunken guests, no more glass bottles being dropped on the floor, just the lazy steps of four teenagers, struggling to stay on task as they cleaned. A drastic change from yesterdays

atmosphere.

* * *

"Naruto"

I was woken from a long nap on the sofa by my mother.

"Hey buddy, how've you been", my mother says as she playfully pinches my nose. A habit of hers that really needs to stop.

"Sleepy", I say dryly.

She strokes my hair and chuckles.

"I'm surprised that you cleaned the whole house. It's not like you to clean anything, even when we ask you to", she nags.

"I was in the mood", I lie.

"You should be in the mood more often"

I sit up on the sofa, and it's only after my nap that I realize how spotless the room was. There's no way in hell I'd ever do this out of my own free will.

"Anyways, we're going to court tonight", my mother says a little too casually.

"We?"

"You're welcome to come, but I doubt you want to. We're trying to convince the town to let Sasuke enroll in your school"

"Can you not", I grumble.

"What's wrong?"

If there's one thing I know well about my mother, it's that she can only see things from her perspective. Did she ever think about how it would affect me?

"Can't you send him to public school? I'm sure he'd fit in there a lot better than I did, and it's cheaper too", I say as I pick up the remote and turn the TV on.

"I want him to keep an eye on you"

Even though she says it as if she's joking, I know she means it.

"Like a child", I say to make sure she knows I'm offended.

"Like a brother"

I roll my eyes, and decide not to argue with her over it. We can argue until next week about my brother being enrolled in the same school as me, she would still do what she thinks is best.

"You will never understand how badly I don't want this to happen"

"I don't see what the big issue is Naruto", she says growing aggravated with my attitude.

"Of course you don't, because you don't go to my school"

"What's wrong with your school? You told me most of the kids there are nice"

Her tone of voice screams "concerned mother". With everything I've gone through, I don't blame her.

"Yeah, but they also get really annoying when they find out that you created someone. They've bothered me all week about Sasuke, imagine how much worse it's going to be when he walks through the school doors"

"So what? It's nothing you can't handle"

I decided to give up on her. There was no point in talking to someone who would never understand.

"And besides, he can protect you from those kids who bother you", she says optimistically.

I ignore her and watch whatever nonsense is playing on the screen.

"I just want you to be safe", she says softly.

"And saying that I worry about you sometimes is a lie...I worry about you all the time. So does your father"

"I know", I say with my eyes fixed on the screen.

"Naruto, I really want you to believe us when we say we're trying to change. Because you're going to leave us pretty soon, and…"

In the pit of my stomach I could tell something was wrong. She was getting way too emotional, but it could be out of all the guilt she's been holding in.

"I don't want you to leave us thinking that we never tried to raise you...which is why…"

"Are you okay?", I ask suspiciously.

"I'm going to leave my job soon. I feel like I should...use my skills for something else besides working in a lab all day", she states firmly.

"You're what?"

I was beyond shocked. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"For the better", she says calmly.

"What about dad? He's still gonna work right?"

"Yes, he promised me that he wouldn't be creating any more lab humans. He won't be working late anymore either"

"You did this for me?"

I was ready to cry because they finally realized how much I needed them. It didn't matter that it was ten years too late.

"Not just for you. I did it for two other children"

"Sai and…"

I didn't know who else she could be referring to.

"Don't bother guessing the second one. I might as well just tell you now that I'm…"

I could tell where this is going, and I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about it. Was she really having another child.

"You're...pregnant?", I say in disbelief.

She nods her head, and the happy expression on her face make my feelings even more conflicted. I should be happy for my her, but something about my almost forty year old mother being pregnant made me feel uncomfortable.

"When did this happen? How long have you been…"

I couldn't bring myself to say the word again. It was weird to think about, and even more weird to say.

"I found out two days ago. I haven't told your father yet", she admits.

"I can't believe this is happening", I finally tell her.

"I feel like I need to start over", she confesses.

"And having this child will start a new chapter to my life"

* * *

"So your parents didn't suspect anything?", Shikamaru asks curiously.

"Nope. They actually believed I cleaned the house"

"And your mom is going to quit her job?", Kiba asks.

"Yeah, she's pregnant. She says she wants to find a new job"

"She's pregnant!", the lazy genius says loudly.

"Shhhhh!"

"Isn't she like forty", Kiba criticizes.

"Almost", I grumble.

"That's just weird", Shikamaru grumbles.

"You wanna know what else is weird?", I ask rhetorically.

"Sasuke might be attending this school if the town allows him to get an education"

"What?!", they both shout at me.

"Keep it down", I hiss. We sure were getting a lot of stares, and it was making me feel uncomfortable.

"Supposedly, he's getting a tour of the school in-", I stop in the middle of my sentence to check my watch.

"Ten minutes. Which is why I texted you guys to meet me in here for lunch. There's no way I'm leaving this place anytime soon"

"Oh man, when I get my hands on that punk for slapping you", Kiba threatens aggressively.

"Kiba! No!", I say to calm him down.

"What does this 'perfect' creation look like anyways?", Shikamaru questions.

I put on my thinking face, and try to describe Sasuke to them.

"He's white...really white, and tall. Taller than you Kiba", I inform him.

"Won't stop me from throwin' a punch at em", Kiba grumbles.

I narrow my eyes at him, and his brow furrows.

"Anyways", I say to move on.

"He's pretty muscular. Football player muscular"

Kiba raises an eyebrow, and Shikamaru nods his head as if he's thinking of a way to plot revenge.

I sigh, unable to finish my description.

"You guys are weird", I say.

"What are we doing wrong?", Shikamaru asks innocently. His fake innocent voice did not fool me.

"I don't want you guys plotting anything"

"Plotting? Nooooo, not us", Kiba teases sarcastically.

"I mean it", I say seriously.

"We hear ya", Shikamaru says as he begins to pack up his stuff.

"I'm guessing you're going to go to class, even though you'd rather hide in here than to watch everyone gawk over...what's his name again?", Kiba asks.

"Sasuke", I say flatly.

Kiba scrunches his nose at the name. He probably dislikes him more than I do.

"And I'm not going to any of my classes. I'm hiding in here for the rest of the day. I don't care if I get in trouble"

"Bad ass", Kiba jokes as he pats me on the back.

"That's my goal"

The bell rings and I watch everyone leave, and I keep my eyes on a particular redhead who I haven't spoken to in a while. _I need to stop being so shy and make a move soon before it's too late._

* * *

**A/N: Surprise, Surprise! Kushina is preggers and she's quitting her job to be a better parent! I didn't want Naruto's parents to come off as careless assholes, and I was getting a lot of reviews saying that they were, but they really do care for him. So I decided to make some minor changes in the story to show that.**

**I'm so proud of myself. I wrote a long chapter, and nothing feels rushed either! It's my biggest pet peeve when the story is moving too quickly, so I feel good about the pace at which things are moving.**

**I'm going to make sure there's some SasuNaru fluff in the next chapter. That's a must! Hope you enjoyed!**


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